Prologue: The puzzle and the missing piece.
What was she doing? How could she wind up in this mess. It had been months since he left. She was still broken inside. But there was something about the man next to her that mad her feel almost normal. But how could she let herself rush into this. She reached to the ground to grab her clothes that were strewn about the tiny bedroom. She was in trouble, deep.
***
Jake stretched as he woke up. The bed next to him rumpled but empty.
Hell, maybe he had dreamed it all up. Bella warm and willing in his arms. But then again, he didn't usually sleep naked in the middle of the day. He pulled on his cutoff sweats and smiled to himself.
He hadn't meant for it to go so far so fast, but who was he to complain. He smirked at the thought. But then again where the hell had she gone?
Jake went down the stairs to get to the phone looking out the window as he past. Yep, the rusty red truck was gone. He picked up and dialed. Well, might as well get the awkward part over.
***
Bella answered on the third ring and carried the phone into the kitchen and away from Charlie in the living room. "Jake?"
"Yeah, Bells, what did you leave for?"
"I don't know, I just… I guess I just freaked out."
"You okay?"
Leave it to Jake to be concerned about me when I am feeling bad for what I did to him. She thought. "Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, do you mind maybe coming up here so we can talk."
"sure, sure," he said.
***
As she waited on Jake she paced. Of course he was attractive. Over the last year he had really grown up actually. He was muscular and there was something wild about him now. Something Bella found herself very attracted to. She had always loved Jake, and well, since he left Jake was the light of her life.
Why shouldn't she be happy?
The roar of Jake bike brought her back to her kitchen and away from her thoughts. She smiled thinking about the time they spent together putting those junk bikes back together again. She definitely deserved to be happy. Jake made her happy.
"Hiya, Bells!" he said walking in without knocking. This was another home to him. He was no guest to this household.
What the hell, she thought and threw herself into his arms. She pressed his lips against his. He was so warm as his giant arms surrounded her. She melted, surrendering all that she had left to him.
"hi to you too," he said laughing.
His laugh was one that would always make her smile. She had this, here and willing to be with her. Why shouldn't she embrace it? She truly was in love with Jake. It may not be the rock your world from just one kiss like it had been with him, but it made her happy and it made her long for the security of Jake would give her.
There would always be a whole in her world, but somehow being with him made it a distant shadow instead of a mind numbing reality.
She would welcome and embrace this reality.
"I love you, Jacob."